The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
When using an RFID system or similar detection technology system for timing sporting events, it often becomes necessary to obtain additional participant information related to a participant in an event. Typically, photographs and video can be taken by a user positioned along the course of the event such as along a particular reference point such as a waypoint or finish line. These users take the photos and associate such with the time of the passing of the participant by the photo point, the name of the participant, or a bib or other participant number or code. The participants are provided with such identifying data and the photos are placed in a database, catalogued, and later accessed by a user by such identifying data. The accessed database can be searched with the photos displayed, and wherein the party doing such searching and displaying can inspect and order the photos, such as via a web site such as provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,985,875 and 7,047,214. It is also possible with certain system that a photovoltaic detection system such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,094 can be used to electronically trigger a photographic system for taking a photo image participant that passes the trigger mechanism line.
However, such current systems are not integrated into the event timing systems that utilized RFID tag detection and tag reading technology. Furthermore, the current process is limited by both the human factors of attempting to take the photographic image, associating such image with the participant and the identifying data, such as name, time or bib number, and then cataloging in a database for subsequent searching, review and ordering. Such human involvement is labor intensive, is prone to errors, and often receives unsatisfactory reviews by participants. Further, when there are a large number of participants passing a particular event course location, it is impossible for current systems to take photos of every participant and to associate every participant in a photo with a participant identifier for subsequent association and cataloging, thereby limiting the ability of the current system to have photos available for on-line review and ordering by numerous participants. Such systems and limitations also make is very difficult if not impossible for an event photographer to pre-subscribe numerous participants in an event, as the failure rate and complexity in ensuring that such photographers can in fact take an photograph of each pre-subscribed participants that can subsequently be associated, informed, catalogued, accessed, searched, and reviewed.
As such, the inventor hereof has identified a need for an integrated photographic and video image system that is integrated with the RFID tag reader and/or timing system, wherein the RFID tag reads trigger the taking of the photograph or video and automatically associated each and every RFID tag number of such photos or videos.